Healthcare supply chain teams are often measured by their ability to execute consistently, but according to Tiffany Weaver, Executive Director of Procurement and Procure-to-Pay Center of Excellence Operations at Wellstar Health System, consistency alone isn't enough to achieve excellence.

"Good supply chain teams follow established processes and procedures," Weaver said. "They execute the work consistently."

What separates great teams, she explained, is curiosity.

Rather than accepting existing processes at face value, high-performing teams dig deeper when challenges arise. They ask questions, investigate root causes and continuously look for opportunities to improve. Just as importantly, they rely on data—not assumptions—to guide decisions and drive innovation.

That mindset was critical during one of Wellstar's most significant recent projects: the implementation of the Workday ERP system.

Over the past three years, Wellstar has completed several major initiatives, including the acquisition of an academic medical center, changes to supplier credentialing and the implementation of a new invoice management system. But Weaver points to the Workday transition as the most impactful.

With approximately 35,000 team members across the organization and nearly 4,000 employees with purchasing access, the implementation required extensive testing, training and education. Weaver's team worked to ensure both procurement staff and end users were fully prepared before the system went live.

The successful rollout demonstrated the qualities Weaver believes define great supply chain teams: a willingness to learn, a commitment to continuous improvement and the discipline to let data drive decisions.

In today's rapidly evolving healthcare environment, those traits may be the difference between simply maintaining operations and transforming them.

About the IDN Directory

The IDN Directory provides insights into the supply chains for the biggest health systems in the country to give manufacturer reps, distribution reps, and national accounts managers a quick, accurate view of what’s going on with their customers - right now. 

More than just a database, the IDN Directory's supply chain-focused content provides a clear and comprehensive idea of your customers’ supply chain needs and activities, empowering them to achieve success with GPO, Direct, and Regional contracting. 

To schedule a demo of the IDN Directory, email us at Demo@IDNDirectory.com.